Archer Pull Up
The Archer Pull Up is an advanced bodyweight exercise that shifts the majority of your weight to one side, bridging the gap between standard pull-ups and the one-arm pull-up. It primarily targets the latissimus dorsi while building intense upper body pulling strength and unilateral stability.
Because Archer Pull Ups place significant unilateral stress on the shoulder joint and connective tissue, AI-driven tracking of your recovery status (HRV) and cumulative shoulder volume is crucial for injury prevention. The app monitors your RPE and rep performance to detect strength asymmetries between your left and right sides, adjusting upcoming volume to correct imbalances. Additionally, by logging recovery data, the system can determine when your central nervous system is primed for this high-intensity movement versus when to regress to standard pull-ups.
Form Cues
- Grip the bar significantly wider than shoulder-width
- Keep the assisting arm straight while pulling with the working arm
- Drive the working elbow forcefully down toward your hip
- Pull your chest toward the hand of the working arm
- Brace your core and keep legs straight to prevent swinging
- Don't bend the assisting arm to help lift the weight
- Don't swing the legs or kip to generate momentum
- Don't let your shoulders shrug up toward your ears
- Don't drop quickly; control the eccentric phase
- Don't perform the movement if you feel sharp pain in the straight arm's shoulder
Common Mistakes
- Bending the straight arm too early
- Using momentum or kipping
- Incomplete range of motion
- Uneven pulling strength between sides
- Rolling shoulders forward at the top
Muscles Worked
This exercise isolates the latissimus dorsi on the working side by shifting the center of mass, mimicking the mechanics of a one-arm pull-up with slight assistance from the opposite limb. It heavily recruits the biceps and brachialis of the pulling arm, while the core and scapular stabilizers (rhomboids, traps) work intensely to maintain a rigid, non-rotational position.
Primary
Secondary
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